Feed Me!

Kids & Nutrition

Copyright 2007 Learning Seed Learning Seed Suite 301, 641 W. Lake St Chicago, IL 60661 www.learningseed.com

FEED ME!
KIDS AND NUTRITION

Legal Niceties The Guide Copyright 2007 Learning Seed. This teaching guide is copyrighted according to the terms of the Creative Commons non-commercial license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/). It may be reproduced, in its part or its entirety, for classroom use. No part of this guide may be reproduced for sale by any party. The Video Copyright 2007 Learning Seed. This video program is protected under U.S. copyright law. No part of this video may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.

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Table of Contents
Overview Objectives Discussion Starters General Media and Nutrition Fruits and Vegetables Dairy Fish, Meat and Beans Oils Grains Discretionary Foods Food and Parenting Research Projects Evaluation/Testing Quiz Quiz Answer Key Additional Information Children And Sugar Developing Sound Eating Habits What A Child Should Learn About Food Protein From Plants MyPyramid Calorie Levels for Children Ages 2-8 Appendix For More Information/Bibliography 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 20 14 15 16 17 18 19

FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Overview
Between ages two and eight a typical kid will eat thousands of meals, many at fast food restaurants, and watch thousands of commercials that make sugar and fat look cool and exciting. Parents and caregivers want their kids to eat healthful meals. But somethings wrong! One child in five is overweight, and health problems like elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes are increasing in kids. Yet many parents dont recognize the problem. Feed Me! Kids And Nutrition explains how parents can use MyPyramid For Kids to develop healthy eating and exercise habits in their offspring. It also explores the psychological problems involved in feeding kids. Feed Me! also explores the challenges of finicky eaters who say no to any food they didnt see yesterday.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Objectives
After viewing Feed Me! viewers will know: How parents can encourage kids to make healthful eating choices based on MyPyramid For Kids. The caloric needs of children between 2 and 8 years. What size servings kids need. The importance of regular meals and snack times. How much kids should exercise every day. How television, movies and internet influence eating. How to evaluate and select fruit juices and drinks. What to look for on nutritional labels. Two guidelines for selecting a cereal. How to select fast food for kids. How parents use food as a method of behavior control. Common feeding tactics to avoid. These include: begging bribing nagging forcing laying on the guilt trip playing the reward/punishment game

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Discussion Starters
General
1. What ideas in the video do you consider important? Emphasize that variety in diet is the most important principle. It offers the most protection against diseases. The healthiest diet for children contains a balance of foods. 2. Are there any ideas you find surprising or unbelievable? If students disbelieve the statement about sugar and activity, assign Research Project 8 and duplicate and discuss Children and Sugar (page 14). 3a. The program states that one in five children is overweight. Why do you think this is true? 3b. What effects does being overweight have on health? 4a. How many calories do kids need when they are between two and four years? 1400 4b. How many calories do kids need when they are between four and eight years? 1400-2000. Girls over six need 200 calories less a day than boys. 4c. How much exercise should kids get after two years? At least one hour a day. 4d. Name some benefits of exercise. burns calories develops muscles improves movement stimulates bone-building cells (via Vitamin D creation from being outdoors in sun)

5. Alex and Brian went to a fast food restaurant. Children today get about a third of their total calorie intake from away-from-home foods. How can a child eat a healthy diet at a fast food restaurant? A kids meal with a cheeseburger, small fries and low-fat chocolate milk delivers about half the recommended daily calorie intake for most children. Selecting fruit instead of fries and choosing milk over a soft drink will improve a childs diet.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Discussion Starters
Media and Nutrition
6a. How did movies and TV commercials influence Alex and Brian? 6b. Do you think advertising influences kids' eating habits? Why? 7a. Have you played an advergame on a food manufacturers website? 7b. Do you think the internet can influence childrens eating habits? See Research Project 4 on advergames. 8. Discuss: "Marketers know that a child who prefers their brand is possibly a customer for life."

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Discussion Starters
Fruits and Vegetables
9a. How much fruit and vegetables should kids between two and four years eat a day? One cup each. 9b. How much fruit and vegetables should kids between four and eight years eat? One and a half cups each. 10. Discuss: Fresh fruit ranks 14th on a list of foods eaten by kids. Eighty percent of American kids dont eat enough vegetables. Why do you think kids dont eat the recommended amount of fruit and veggies? 11a. Why do fries make up one fourth of all the vegetables eaten by kids? They are often part of kids meals at fast food restaurants, school lunch programs, frozen meals for kids, and meals at sit-down restaurants. 11b. Why are fries not the best vegetable choice? Fries soak up a lot of fat during frying. 12a. How much juice should kids drink? Pediatricians advise only six ounces of juice a day for children up to age six and no more than 12 ounces for children over seven. Vitamin enriched sugar waters never replace juice. 12b. Give some examples of 100% fruit juice. Give examples of fruit drinks, punch or soft drinks disguised as fruit juice. Many fruit juices use apple, grape or pear juice as a base and only a trace of another juice for flavor. Theres nothing wrong with apple juice, but its not a nutritional powerhouse. You can buy it for less money when its not disguised as juice from an exotic tropical fruit. 13. Discuss the Protein from Plants list of foods (page 17). What are some foods with vegetables that may appeal to kids? Pumpkin butter, pumpkin soup, carrot soup, carrot/banana bread, zucchini bread, veggie lasagna, avocado dip, spinach laden spaghetti sauce, vegetable and meat stew and soup.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Discussion Starters
Dairy
14a. How much dairy do kids between two and three years need? Two cups of low fat dairy foods each day. 14b. How much dairy do kids between four and eight years need? Two to three cups, depending on how active they are. 15. Why is it especially important that kids get sufficient calcium? Kids store 98% of the calcium they eat in bones and teeth. Once they become adults they draw on the reserves built up while young. Too little calcium as a kid might contribute to weak bones as an older adult. 16a. Discuss: "Kids who drink whole milk find the taste of skim difficult to accept. If skim milk is the norm, whole milk will taste "too rich." If whole milk is the norm, skim milk will taste "funny." 16b. Encourage drinkers of 2% or whole milk to try 1% or skim. Ask them to report the results. Also encourage viewers to try low fat cheese. 17. Emphasize that kids less than two years of age thrive on a high fat diet so they need whole milk. Infants need fat to grow. Cutting back on fat for infants could be dangerous. 18. What happens when a child regularly drinks soda instead of milk with a meal? They miss a source of calcium, and add sugar and calories. 19a. Ask if any viewers have tried soy milk. What are its benefits? Fortified soy milk provides calcium without providing fat. 19b. Is it important to buy organic milk for kids? Conventional milk contains bovine growth hormone (BGH). There are charges that BGH causes early puberty. However the latest scientific research on BGH does not support this theory. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control think conventional milk is acceptable.

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Discussion Starters
Fish, Meat and Beans
20. How much fish, meat and beans should children eat? Two- to four-year-olds need 2 ounces of fish, meat and beans a day. Four to eight year-olds need 3 to 5 ! ounces. 21. Name some healthy ways to eat beans. bean dip bean soup bean burrito lentil soup 22. Discuss: Alex ate a hot dog and chicken nuggets. Leaner, less processed meats would serve him better. 23. Discuss: To grow up thinking hot dogs, hamburgers, and deep fried chicken are standard, everyday choices for protein increases the risk of adult obesity and heart disease.

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Discussion Starters
Oils
24a. Name some recommended oils. Canola, corn, olive, soybean and sunflower. Oils involved in cooking should not be hydrogenated. 24b. What are recommended spreads? Soft, light or low-fat margarines with no trans-fats are the best spreads. 25. Name some foods that naturally contain oils. Nuts, olives, some fish and avocadoes are naturally high in oils. 26. How can you avoid eating trans-fats at a restaurant? Avoid anything fried or breaded.

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Discussion Starters
Grains
27. Discuss: Breads, cereals and pastas made entirely from whole grains are best. Wheat contains three partsthe bran, germ, and endosperm. Whole grains have all three parts. Refined grains contain only the endosperm, or starch part so the eater misses out on many vitamins and minerals. 28. Name two guidelines for buying cereal. Check the sugars content on the boxs nutrition panel. Look for less than six grams of sugars. Six grams means the cereal is still about 20% sugars. Its less expensive to buy unsweetened cereal and add sugar on your own. Check the ingredient list and choose cereals with a whole grain (such as whole wheat) leading the list. 29. How should you select bread? When reading the ingredient list look for the first ingredient to be whole-wheat flour, brown rice, rye flour, barley or oats. Avoid enriched wheat flour as much as possible because it is a refined grain and not as healthy as whole grains.

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Discussion Starters
Discretionary Foods
30. What are discretionary calories? Calories available to spend any way you like after you meet nutrient needs. 31. Why should kids avoid sugary foods? Too many sugary foods can pile on unwanted pounds and crowd out nutritious foods. Kids who eat a lot of foods with added sugars may find the natural sweetness in fruit less satisfying. 32. Discuss the importance of snacks in a childs diet. Kids are not going to eat three perfectly balanced meals every day and fill their nutritional needs. They will probably get about a third of their calories from snacks. Some parents think of snacks as nutritional downfalls or an unavoidable evil. Instead, consider them a chance to round out a balanced diet. Replace foods that supply mostly fat and calories and have little other nutritional value with snacks such as fruit, milk, and vegetables. 33. Why is it important to read labels? Processed foods can contain hidden fat. Parents may buy their children granola bars, for example, thinking that they are healthy. In reality the bar may have highly saturated fat such as coconut oil. Or, a bread label may reveal that white flour, not whole wheat is the main ingredient.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Discussion Starters
Food and Parenting
34a. Discuss: "Food is more than nutrition. Food brings a family together to share the day, to celebrate, to enjoy." 34b. How often does your family eat together? 35. Discuss the Feeding Strategies mentioned in the program. It may take ten tries before a child accepts a new food. Kids who try food on their own are more likely to try it again than kids who are bribed or forced into eating. Outlawing a food only makes it more attractive to a child. The caregiver challenges the child to an I Win/ You Lose War. Complying with the parent becomes more important than eating the food. Dont nag kids at mealsespecially about their table manners. They will undoubtedly overturn forks with peas on them, spill beverages, and drop food before it reaches their mouths, all because their coordination is not yet fully developed. Parents who eat chips and drink soft drinks will have little success encouraging their children to eat healthy foods. The MyPyramid eating plans give guidelines for every member of a family over age two. Family members can eat different amounts of the same foods. 36. Is it bad if a child misses some of his/her nutrients for a day? Growth is a long process. View eating patterns with this long time frame in mind. Parents need not worry about one meal, a day, or even a week of less than perfect eating. A meal or a day does not poison" the system. Periods when a child eats little are generally not a cause for concern, unless the child acts lethargic or has an increased susceptibility to infection. Expect less than perfectly regular eating patterns. One study found that mothers often rate their children's food habits as poor even when the diets were nutritionally adequate.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Research Projects
1. Research the obesity epidemic among children. What are the dangers if obesity continues into adulthood? 2. Research the relationship between television viewing and obesity in childhood. What does TV teach about food? Do TV viewers snack more frequently on high fat, high calorie foods? Are heavy TV viewers more sedentary? 3. Monitor kids TV programming for product placement of food. 4. Report on food manufacturers websites which have advergames for kids to play. (According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 85 percent of the leading food brands that target children on TV have online content aimed at young web surfers. Advergames use a brands characters or logos. These websites promote foods with poor nutritional quality. Advocates for early nutrition believe the websites can have a negative effect on families abilities to teach healthy eating habits. As Internet marketing grows, and as children become more proficient at using computers, the interactivity and intensity of online promotions could have a large impact.) 5. Research ways other than TV and internet that advertisers use to market food to children. (Look for kids clothing with food labels, lunch boxes, books.) 6. Record three hours of Saturday morning cartoons. Play back the tape, watching only the commercials. What trends do you see? How many ads were for fast foods? How many for cereals? Name the products which promote fruit-flavored manufactured foods. 7. Keep a "food dairy" on yourself or on a child for a day like the video did with Alex and Brian. Evaluate the diet, using the handout on page 9, "Children's Nutritional Needs." Compare the childs diet with a diet recommended at mypyramid.com. 8. Research the relationship between sugar and children's behavior. Be sure to use recent resources, as opinion on the relationship between sugar and activity has changed in recent years. This guide includes a summary statement on sugar, "Children and Sugar." 9. Conduct a vegetable taste test to find vegetables that a child in your life likes. Possible veggies include: salsa, vegetable juice, vegetable pasta sauce, vegetarian chili, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and muffins. (Be sure the recipe calls for a lot of pumpkin. Other ideas include vegetarian burgers and veggie pizza. Try crisp raw vegetables like celery sticks and radishes. 10. Go to a grocery store and find Kidfoods - special foods and meals aimed specifically at kids. These are foods marketed with cartoon characters, toys, video games, or movie characters that appeal to kids. List the "Kidfoods" you find and evaluate the nutritional labels. How many grams of fat, sugar, and salt does the product have? What percentage of calories come from fat and sugar? (Products include Lunchables, Kids Cuisine, GoGurt, Danimals and YoBaby.) Marion Nestles What to Eat is an excellent resource on marketing foods to kids. 11. Do a nutritional analysis of the kids meals from several fast food restaurants (such as Burger King, McDonald's, Arbys, Wendys, McDonalds, KFC and Taco Bell). Do these vendors offer healthy options?

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION 12. Collect menus from as many sit-down restaurants as you can. What are the kids' meals on these menus? Can a child easily meet his/her nutritional requirements eating one of these meals? 13. Look for claims about health on packages for cereals and cookies where sugars account for almost half the calories.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Quiz on Feed Me!

Mark T for True and F for False.

_____ 1. Children get fat because they eat too much and exercise too little. _____ 2. Overweight children may develop high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and Type 2 Diabetes. _____ 3. Overweight children tend to become overweight adults. _____ 4. Too little calcium as a kid might contribute to weak bones as an older adult. _____ 5. Children older than two should get a half hour of exercise a day. _____ 6. Children get vitamin D from exposure to sun. _____ 7. Fresh fruit ranks first on a list of foods most often eaten by children and adolescents. _____ 8. Children age 2-3 years need a cup of fruit and a cup of vegetables a day. _____ 9. Kids age 4-8 years require one cup of dairy a day. _____ 10. The oil category on the pyramid includes oils added to foods during processing, cooking, and at the table. _____ 11. When shopping for kids foods, choose foods with trans-fats and hydrogenated oils. _____ 12. Kids should never eat sweets. _____ 13. Recommended oils include canola, corn, olive, soybean and sunflower. _____ 14. Children over 2 years of age, as well as adults, should keep calories from fat to 50% or less of calories. _____ 15. Kids under two years of age thrive on a high-fat diet so they need whole milk.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Children and Sugar

Behavior Scientific research during the past decade has failed to find an association between sugar and behavior. In other words, gorging on Halloween candy does not adversely influence behavior. Most experts today agree that the evidence for sugar's impact on children's behavior was based on anecdotes and incorrect interpretation of scientific data. In spite of this current state of knowledge, countless parents report that their kids react to sugar by turning into "ping pong balls." But such observations fail to separate sugar from its context -- often excitement accompanying a special occasion. Cavities Even sugar's role in causing cavities is now seen as less important than once believed. Sugar does increase the acids in the mouth that encourage the growth of cavity-causing bacteria. We now know that how much contact the bacteria has with the teeth is even more important. A caramel is sticky but dissolves quickly instead of staying on the teeth. A potato chip contains starch that must be broken down in the mouth by the enzyme amylase. This takes time, allowing the sugar to stay on the teeth for a long time. The Real Problem The main problem with sugar is that we eat so much of it -- about 100 pounds per person yearly. Sugar does provide energy (calories) but is missing vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Sugar crowds out other nutrient-rich foods. Too many sugary foods can pile on unwanted pounds and crowd out nutritious foods. Kids who eat a lot of foods with added sugars may find the natural sweetness in fruit less satisfying.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Developing Sound Eating Habits

Involve children in making meal choices. Take kids shopping and talk to them about food. Let them help with meal preparation. Help them learn where food comes from. Do not offer a different food just because the child doesn't like what is served. That encourages them to avoid foods they might someday learn to enjoy. Keep a variety of good foods in the house and eat those foods yourself. Avoid fighting with kids about food. Picky eating, lack of appetite, boredom with food, hunger at odd times: these are all signs that a child is following internal cues about when and how much to eat. Do not rely on multivitamins. A simple and safe daily multiple vitamin will cause no nutritional damage, but most kids don't need it. Allow for individual differences. For some toddlers perfectly acceptable zucchini may become inedible if touched by mashed potatoes. Respect children's preferences. The color of the food, the plate, and the setting all influence appetite.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

What a Child Should Learn About Food

That when he/she is hungry, that need will be met. That his/her food preferences will be respected. To eat when he/she is hungry, to respond to internal cues. To eat a variety of foods from the nutrition pyramid. That eating is a pleasurable experience. That there are ways other than eating to deal with negative feelings. That fruits and vegetables are great snacks. To accept their basic body type.

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

Protein from Plants

Foods that have plant protein are also rich in nutrients and phytochemicals. Animal protein does not contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that plant protein does. Food Almonds (3 oz) Banana Broccoli (1 cup) Brown rice (1 cup) Chickpeas (1 cup) Corn (1 cup) Lentils (1cup) Whole wheat bread (2 slices) Grams of Protein 10 1.2 5 5 15 4.2 18 5

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FEED ME! KIDS AND NUTRITION

MyPyramid Calorie Levels for Children Ages 2-8

MALES
Moderately Active

FEMALES
Moderately Active 1000 1200 1400 1400 1400 1600 1600

AGE 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Sedentary

Active

1000 1000 1200 1200 1400 1400 1400

1000 1400 1400 1400 1600 1600 1600

1000 1400 1600 1600 1800 1800 2000

AGE 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Sedentary 1000 1000 1200 1200 1200 1200 1400

Active 1000 1400 1400 1600 1600 1800 1800

Sedentary: less than 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities. Moderately Active: At least 30 minutes, and up to 60 minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities. Active: 60 or more minutes a day of moderate physical activity in addition to daily activities. Source: www.mypyramid.com (click on professionals)

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For More Information

American Academy of Pediatrics. Website on childhood obesity: aap.org/obesity/ Pestering Parents: How Food Companies Market Obesity to Children. 2003. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Its Childs Play: Advergaming and the Online Marketing of Food to Children. www.kaiserfamilyfoundation.com MyPyramid Food Guidance System: The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (USDA) www.mypyramid.com McClendon, Marie and Christy Shauck. The Healthy Lunchbox. Alexandria, VA: Small Steps Press, 2005. Nestle, Marion. Super Sized Kids: How to Rescue Your Child from the Obesity Threat by What to Eat. New York: North Point Press, 2006. Ward, Elizabeth M. The Pocket Idiots Guide to The New food Pyramids. New York: Alpha, 2005.

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Answer Key
1. T 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. F 10.T 11. F 12. F 13. T 14. F 15. T

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